AG-UFAD-02

December 5, 2007
Titus
Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD)
Application Guide
Air Distribution Technologies
605 Shiloh Road
Plano, Texas 75074
972.212.4800
www.titus-hvac.com


















Titus, the Titus Spiral, The Leader in Air Management is a trademark of Titus.
All other trademarks, noted or not, are the property of their respective owners.
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Application Guide
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December 5, 2007
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Contents Page
General.............................................................. 3
Introduction...................................................... 3
UFAD System Overview.................................. 3
Design Basics .................................................. 3
Plenum Design .............................................. 3
Perimeter Systems ........................................ 4
Conference Rooms & Other Areas of Varying
Load............................................................... 5
Return Air....................................................... 6
Humidity Issues ............................................. 6
Sizing Jobs..................................................... 6
System Economics.......................................... 6
First Costs & Installation Costs...................... 7
Higher HVAC Equipment Efficiency .............. 7
Lower Horsepower Fans................................ 7
Better Heat and Pollutant Removal ............... 7
Easy Installation and Relocation.................... 8
Lower Life Cycle Costs.................................. 8
UFAD and LEED............................................... 8
Optimize Energy ............................................ 8
Building Reuse............................................... 9
Controllability of Systems .............................. 9
Abbreviations................................................... 9
General
This document provides application and design
highlights for underfloor air distribution (UFAD)
systems.
Additional information may be found at the Titus
website, www.titus-hvac.com.
Introduction
The interest in underfloor air distribution (UFAD)
has increased significantly over the last decade.
There is currently several million square feet of
access floor air distribution systems being
designed across the country.
In 1997 Titus introduced the TAF-R diffuser and
the TAF-G grommet, which were installed in the
Owens Corning World Headquarters. Since then,
Titus, ASHRAE, and the engineering community
have continued to learn about UFAD systems.
In the decade that Titus has participated in UFAD
designs in the US, we have continued to introduce
new products to meet the needs of this unique
application.
UFAD System Overview
UFAD systems utilize the space under an access
floor as an air plenum. Properly designed UFAD
systems take advantage of thermal stratification.
ASHRAE recommend that, for comfort, the
temperature in the occupied zone be between 73
o
and 77
o
F, relative humidity be between 25 - 60%,
and the maximum velocity in occupied zone be 50
fpm in cooling or 30 fpm in heating.
The key to successful access floor systems is the
ability of the access floor diffuser to rapidly mix
room air into the supply air at low velocities.
Because supply air is introduced directly into the
occupied zone, it is important that the supply air
reach the ASHRAE recommended temperature
and velocity, mixing of the supply air into the
space should happen rapidly.
The typical application for a UFAD system is the
open plan office. Floor space is at a premium in a
cubicle so a smaller clear area around the diffuser
will allow more usable space in the cubicle. The
UFAD diffuser manufacturer defines the required
clear area that their diffuser needs to achieve the
ASHRAE recommended temperature and velocity.
Originally UFAD systems were for computer
rooms. The design intent was to cool computer
equipment and not to provide comfort. The
computer room design concept typically provides
too cold of a space for comfort.
There has been a growth of UFAD systems used
in offices and headquarters in U.S. It is estimated
that 10% of U.S. construction will utilize access
floors within few years.
The growing interest in UFAD systems is primarily
due to companies need to easily rearrange office
layouts, information and communications based
offices, economics of ownership, and green
building programs such as LEED.
Design Basics
Plenum Design
The raised floor office can be supplied with
conditioned air from below the floor in two ways
pressurized plenum or neutral plenum.
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Pressurized Plenums
The pressurized plenum (the area between the
slab and the raised floor) is essentially a large
duct maintained at a constant pressure differential
to the room above; typically between 0.05 and
0.10 in. pressure (w.g.).
This pressure is maintained through the supply of
conditioned air from a number of supply duct
terminations. The spacing and location of these
ducts are dependent on the air supply
requirement and the plenum depth, with shallow
plenums and / or high air quantities requiring more
air supply duct outlets under the floor. UFAD
diffusers are specially designed grilles with a user
adjustable damper to regulate flow.
Sealing the underfloor plenum is critical to
optimizing the operation of a UFAD system. Air
leaking through the floor tiles into the occupied
zone is of minimal concern because it is leaking
into the occupied space. Air leaking into the space
between the walls, however, is wasted energy. All
knockouts and holes in the drywall below the
raised floor must be sealed during construction.
The advantages of pressurized plenums include
low first cost and easily changed layouts. This is
the most commonly used plenum design.
Neutral Plenums
With the neutral plenum design, the same layout
as the pressurized plenum may be used, but the
pressure difference between the plenum and the
room is kept as close as possible to zero.
Floor diffusers either contain integral fans, are
ducted from a central source, or both. In many
cases, these closely resemble conventional
ceiling supply systems.
Advantages include the possibility of multiple
small zones (as with multiple tenants) and
insensitivity to construction details. Disadvantages
include higher first costs due to ducting and/or fan
connections under the floor, lower flexibility as the
grilles are individually ducted, and potentially
higher noise levels.
This design is rarely used, but may be effective in
tenant buildings where the utilities will be paid by
the tenant.
Plenum Details
Plenum heights typically range from 14 to 18,
occasionally going as low as 12. The plenum
height is usually determined by the height
requirements of other equipment that will be
located under the floor. The number of inlets
required to supply the plenum with sufficient air to
run the diffusers is dependent upon the plenum
size and the number of diffusers, which in turn is
determined by the load of the space.
As a general rule, the longest distance from the
supply air outlet in the plenum and the farthest
diffuser should not exceed 50-65 feet. Distances
longer then this are subject to thermal losses and
the discharge temperature of the diffuser may be
too high.
If zone control is desired from the underfloor
plenum, the plenum can be partitioned into
separate zones. The zones in the underfloor
plenum should correspond to building zones
having similar load requirements. However, it is
not necessary to partition the underfloor plenum
into zones and doing so can make future office
layout changes more difficult. If an office layout
must be changed, the partitioned plenum will need
to be changed to match the new layout.
Because of the special heating and cooling
requirements of the perimeter of the building, it
may be necessary to create a perimeter zone in
the underfloor plenum to run a separate perimeter
system. Typically only the perimeter is zoned from
the core. The perimeter will be discussed in more
detail next.
Perimeter Systems
The perimeter is typically the most difficult area of
an underfloor system to design. The perimeter is
often handling much larger loads and require the
most equipment. In the past, the best way to
handle the perimeter was to use fan powered
terminals with reheat ducted to linear bar grilles.
There are a couple challenges with this design
concept. The throw of a linear bar grille ducted to
the discharge of a fan powered terminal is very
long, possible as long as 15-20 feet. Designing
long throws at the perimeter contradicts the
concept of stratification in a UFAD system. Not
only does the long throw from the grille mix the air
above the stratified layer into the occupied zone,
wasting energy, but it also may roll up the glass
and across the ceiling, where it drop into the
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occupied zone causing discomfort for the
occupants.
Although the concept of UFAD systems is to be
modular, the function of handling perimeter loads
is not modular. Those loads come with the
building envelope, which is always a line of some
sort. The TAF-L Perimeter System was designed
to address all of these considerations.
Perimeter Cooling
The perimeter cooling system should combine
induction, buoyancy and displacement ventilation
models, handles high thermal loads such as 225
CFM per 4 length at 0.07 wg, engage the
occupied zone, but not the stratified ceiling layer.
This avoids occupant complaints from air rolling
back, dumping into interior space and saves
energy by not mixing the warm ceiling air into the
occupied zone.
The TAF-L perimeter system provides this ideal
air pattern. The TAF-L system consists of a
modular cooling plenum, the TAF-L-V, and
heating plenum, the TAF-L-W, designed to be
integrated with the CT-TAF-L multi-deflection
linear bar diffuser.
The TAF-L system provides a continuous look
around the perimeter. The TAF-L-V cooling
plenum used with the CT-TAF-L has an
engineered throw pattern that never breaks
through the stratification layer created by the
UFAD diffusers in the core. The dual aperture
plate design allows the TAF-L-V / CT-TAF-L
assembly to maintain this engineered throw
pattern while modulating the airflow volume.
Perimeter Heating
Perimeter heating cannot be accomplished with
the same system as the interior load cooling
system. Ideally, since ASHRAE 90.1 states that
you should not simultaneously cool and heat, the
perimeter heating system should be completely
independent of the cooling system. Separate
ducting of hot or reheated air, hydronic systems,
or perimeter fan powered systems are often used
to condition the skin load on the building.
The TAF-L-W, self contained fin tube perimeter
heating plenum utilizes room air to heat the
perimeter instead of supply air. The TAF-L-W
heating plenum also uses the CT-TAF-L to create
a continuous linear look from the occupied space.
The TAF-L-W works by allowing the denser cold
air to flow down a window or exterior wall into the
TAF-L-W plenum while also inducing room air into
the plenum. A finned tube heater in the plenum
reheats this cold air and room air, returning the
warmer air to the window or exterior wall through
natural convection.
Typically the TAF-L-V, cooling plenums, and TAF-
L-W, heating plenums are alternated as needed
throughout the perimeter.
The TAF-L system allows you to remove the fan
powered terminals, and their associated energy
and maintenance costs, from the UFAD system.
However, in the event where the system cannot
achieve consistent plenum pressure, a fan
powered terminal may be necessary.
The PFC was designed to be used as a booster
unit for perimeter applications. The PFC fan
powered terminal unit is designed to be installed
between the pedestals in an underfloor system
and installed in a floor 12 to 18 in height.
The PFC is usually ducted to linear bar diffusers,
such as the CT, or diffuser and plenum units, such
as the TAF-D. The airflow of the diffusers is
directed at the glass like a typical ceiling system.
Modulating the fan speed to vary the amount of air
supplied to the zone is the most common control
sequence used for the PFC. The PFC controller
will determine the speed of the fan based on zone
temperature. For example, the fan would run
100% when the zone is 75
o
F and modulated down
to 30% as the zone approaches 70
o
F.
Conference Rooms & Other
Areas of Varying Load
Much like the perimeter, conference rooms must
be handled separately to adjust for the varying
load conditions. The LHK fan powered terminal
was designed for this application. Like the PFC,
the LHK fits within the modular pedestal systems
of the raised floor and is available in various
heights to fit under 12 through 18 raised floors.
With the exception of its unique dimensions, the
LHK is like any other series fan powered terminal.
The LHK has a supply inlet with a damper
modulated by a controller and actuator. The LHK
has an induced air inlet which pulls air from the
underfloor plenum or from the room depending on
how the LHK is applied.
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The LHK supply inlet would be open to the
plenum with the induced air inlet ducted to the
room as the return. The discharge would then be
flex ducted to TAF-Rs in the room.
Return Air
Due to the upward air flow, returns should be
located at the ceiling or on a high side wall. This
allows the heat from ceiling lights to be returned
before it is able to mix with the conditioned air in
the occupied zone. There will also be a small
amount of free cooling due to the natural
buoyancy of hot air.
If the system must use 55
o
F supply air for
humidity reasons, some of the return air can be
recirculated from the ceiling to the underfloor
plenum to raise the temperature of the air to 63
o
F
to 68
o
F.
Another option is to take the return air back to the
air handling unit where it can be filtered and
dehumidified before re-entering the underfloor
plenum. With this option, you can more accurately
control the air temperature at the diffuser and you
gain the cost benefits of the warmer supply air
temperature.
Humidity Issues
A potential problem with the higher supply
temperatures used in underfloor supply systems is
the higher potential moisture content of the
warmer supply air used in these systems.
The supply system must reduce relative
humidities to less than 60% to meet IAQ
concerns, and this requires dew points less than
65
o
F. This implies either reheat or blending of air
to achieve a 65
o
F supply, 55
o
F dew point
condition.
System designs utilizing condenser water reheat,
run-around coils, face & bypass, and other
strategies can be employed to solve these
potential design problems. Other possible
solutions include the use of a separate system to
dry outside air or the use of desiccant
dehumidification.
Climate and building operation are important
considerations when designing a UFAD system.
In humid climates, it may be necessary to operate
the HVAC system 24 hours a day to maintain
acceptable humidity levels in the building.
Sizing Jobs
The optimum design point for the TAF-R is 80 -
100 CFM when a 10
o
F room / supply differential is
used. At this point, the noise is negligible and the
pressure required is less than 0.10.
Throw will be less than 6 ft., preserving the
desired ceiling stratification layer. Our testing
shows that there is 100% mixing in the occupied
zone under these conditions.
The stratification in this installation results in a
supply - exhaust T similar to the typical 18
o
F to
20
o
F T common in most conventional systems.
For example, with 64
o
F supply air in a 74
o
F room,
the room exhaust, at the ceiling, will probably be
about 82
o
F, for an 18
o
F T.
This means that one diffuser can handle:
18
o
F T x 100 CFM x 1.08 = 1944 BTUH or
1944 BTUH 3.41 = 570 watts of internal load.
Lights are typically 0.75 W/sq.ft, but with ceiling
stratification are probably not a part of the room
load (but are seen by the air handler). If
computers and printers supply about 1W/sq.ft.
load and occupants add about 1.2 W/sq.ft, this
translates to:
1.0 W/sq.ft. (computers and printers)
+ 1.2 W/sq.ft. (occupants)
= 2.2 W/sq.ft. (room load)
This corresponds to one TAF-R every:
570 Watts of internal heat
2.2 W/sq.ft. room load
= 260 sq.ft. floor space sensed interior zone load.
As a general rule, one TAF-R should be provided
for each occupant.
System Economics
The main economic considerations for a UFAD
system are reduced first costs & installation costs,
higher HVAC equipment efficiency, lower
horsepower fans, better heat and pollutant
removal, quick to install and easy to rearrange
office layouts, and lower life-cycle building costs.
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First Costs & Installation Costs
UFAD systems can be designed with plenum
returns using the same floor to floor height as
conventional systems by shifting the occupied
zone up into where the ceiling plenum would
normally be.
The cost of the raised floor, typically $5-7 per
sq.ft., is offset by the fact that less ductwork is
required. The installation costs are usually lower
because the HVAC and data / power work is done
at floor level.
In a conventional system, ductwork must go to
every diffuser. UFAD systems use a pressurized
plenum to supply each diffuser, so less ductwork
is required. In a UFAD system, the only ducting in
the underfloor plenum is the ductwork required to
supply the diffusers that are more than 50-65 feet
away from the dampers or the separation for the
perimeter.
Figure 1. Conventional system ductwork
Figure 2. UFAD system plenum
A 1996 study in Building Design & Construction
magazine showed a $2.13/sq.ft. first cost savings
using UFAD systems.
Higher HVAC Equipment
Efficiency
In an UFAD system, supply air enters directly into
the occupied zone at the floor level. In a
conventional system, the supply air temperature is
usually 55
o
F because it must mix with the warm
air at the ceiling before it enters the occupied
zone.
UFAD systems typically use 63-68
o
F supply air
temperatures. This warmer supply air can reduce
energy consumption of the HVAC equipment.
Some DX equipment cannot supply air at this high
temperature, so this must be considered when
selecting the HVAC equipment.
Lower Horsepower Fans
UFAD systems move a larger volume of air with
overall lower pressure drops. The diffusers used
in UFAD systems operate with less than 0.1 wg,
so lower horsepower fan can be used, reducing
energy costs.
Better Heat and Pollutant
Removal
Heat from overhead ceiling lights is removed
before it enters the occupied zone and lateral
mixing in the occupied zone is reduced. A
Main Duct Loop
Branch Ducts
Air handler
Core VAV box
Diffusers
Air is
supplied to
the center
of the floor
Fan powered
terminals
handle the
perimeter
Air is
supplied to
the center
of the floor
Fan powered
terminals
handle the
perimeter
Air is
supplied to
the center
of the floor
Fan powered
terminals
handle the
perimeter
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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory field study
found that pollutant removal efficiency for carbon
dioxide was 13% higher than expected in a space
with well-mixed air, suggesting a 13% reduction in
exposures to occupant generated pollutants.
Easy Installation and Relocation
UFAD diffusers are installed through the floor
panel after flooring and carpet installation is
complete. Little attention needs to be placed on
diffuser location until office furniture layout is
finalized.
Typical churn in an office is 33%, meaning that
everyone moves every three years. Diffusers are
rearranged by moving entire floor panel to a new
location. This reduces the time and labor costs of
relocation and renovation in an office.
Lower Life Cycle Costs
Several factors of the UFAD system contribute to
potential life cycle savings. The building should
have an energy savings from the use of lower
horsepower fans. The owner should see reduced
costs for office layout changes.
In addition to these, the concrete structural slab
can be used to lower peak cooling demand. The
use of the underfloor plenum as a supply duct
allows the use of the thermal mass of the
structure as an energy flywheel.
By ventilating the underfloor plenum with cool air
at night, the structure can be cooled to the point
where the load during the early part of the day is
significantly lowered. A number of strategies can
be employed to take advantage of the potential for
stored cool, resulting in lowered energy use and
off-peak energy use. However, there is a potential
for overcooling the occupied space during the
night requiring addition morning warm up, costing
energy.
There are also costs savings associated with
increased thermal comfort for occupants. Because
the diffusers are occupant adjustable, the facility
staff should see fewer complaints about thermal
comfort.
Increased employee satisfaction potentially results
in increased productivity. Labor costs are typically
10 times the cost of property. A 1% productivity
improvement is the equivalent of 22 hours, or
almost three days, of gained productivity.
For a company with 115 employees earning
$35,000 a year, 30 employees earning $60,000 a
year, and 5 employees earning $80,000 a year, a
1% improvement would worth be almost $70,000.
This is a substantial payback for a building owner.
UFAD and LEED
The United States Green Building Council
(USGBC) developed the Leadership in Energy &
Environmental Design (LEED
TM
) Green Building
Rating System. The LEED council is a
voluntary, consensus-based national standard
board for developing high-performance,
sustainable buildings. USGBC members
represent all segments of the building industry
and update the program continuously.
The growing interest in green buildings and LEED
certification has increased the interest in UFAD
systems. The table below shows the LEED credits
that could be achieved with UFAD systems.
Criteria Classification Points
Energy & Atmosphere
Credit 1 - Optimize Energy
Performance
Up to 10
Materials & Resources
Credit 1 - Building Reuse 1 3
Indoor Environmental Quality
Credit 6 Controllability of
Systems, Thermal Comfort
1
Credit 7 Thermal Comfort 1
Optimize Energy
Credit 1 is Optimize Energy Performance. The
intent of this credit is to achieve increasing levels
of energy performance above the prerequisite
standard to reduce environmental impacts
associated with excessive energy use. Credits are
based on percentage of reduction and range from
10.5% reduction (1 Point) to 42% reduction (10
Points) for new buildings.
The requirement for optimizing energy
performance credit is to reduce the design
energy cost compared to the energy cost budget
for systems regulated by ASHRAE/IESNA
Standard 90.1-2004. Per LEED, regulated energy
systems include HVAC, service hot water and
interior lighting.
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All LEED projects registering after June 26, 2007
are required to achieve at least two (2) Optimize
Energy Performance points
One way to achieve energy optimization credit is
with an underfloor system. An underfloor system
may have higher HVAC equipment efficiency as
access floor air systems use warmer supply air
(63
o
to 68
o
F) than conventional systems that use
55
o
F supply air. Raising the discharge
temperature of many system types reduces
energy consumption.
Underfloor systems can move a larger
volume of air with overall lower pressure drops.
The underfloor plenum needs less than 0.1 wg
of water pressure or less for proper diffuser
performance. This results in less fan horsepower
needed for underfloor systems resulting in lower
energy usage.
The energy savings of an underfloor system
should be considered as part of the system to
receive an Optimize Energy Performance credit.
ECM motors are another option that should be
considered for the Optimize Energy Performance
credit. The ECM motor has efficiencies of up to
70% across its entire operating range (300-1200
rpm) and 80% over 400 rpm. The ECM motor is
available in the Titus LHK and PFC UFAD fan-
powered terminals. See the ECM Application
Guide, AG-ECM, for more information.
Building Reuse
If the project is a renovation, Credit 1.1, 1.2, or
1.3, Building Reuse, may be applicable.
Credit 1.1 is for maintaining at least 75%, based
on surface area, of existing building structure and
envelope. Credit 1.2 is for maintaining an
additional 20%. Credit 1.3 is for maintaining 50%
of existing interior non-structural elements such as
interior walls, doors, floor coverings and ceiling
systems.
Each credit qualifies for one point, meeting the
criteria for all three credits nets a maximum of
three points for the Material & Resources section.
Utilizing access floors systems can update a
building for meet current technology needs
without demolishing the current building structure.
In situations where the architect wants to leave an
ornamental ceiling open, access floor air
distribution may be the perfect solution.
Controllability of Systems
Credit 6, Controllability of Systems, has two parts:
6.1 Lighting and 6.2 Thermal Comfort. The intent
of Credit 6.2 is to provide individual comfort
controls for 50% of the building occupants to
enable adjustments to suit individual task needs
and preferences.
The credit states that, Individual adjustments may
involve individual thermostat controls, local
diffusers at floor, as potential strategies to
achieve this credit. VAV diffusers, such as the
Titus T
3
SQ would also qualify for this credit as
well as access floor diffusers such as the TAF-R.
Abbreviations
The following table lists abbreviations used within
this document.
Abbrev. Term
ASHRAE American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers
UFAD Underfloor Air Distribution
LEED Leadership in Energy & Environmental
Design
USGBC U. S. Green Building Council